


White Cloak & Red Dragon

by lilgulie5



Series: A Time for Targaryens [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Cheating, F/M, Forbidden Love, Quickies, Secret Relationship, Shameless Smut, Smut, Table Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-14 13:20:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16913592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilgulie5/pseuds/lilgulie5
Summary: A collection of oneshots set before, during, and after "You're the Right Kind of Madness". Featuring Jon and Daenerys's oldest daughter, Rhaenys, and Luc Selmy a member of the Queensguard and the great-nephew of Ser Barristan.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! I decided to turn a series of individual oneshots I was writing into a fic in order to keep them all together and in order. You probably don't need to read You're the Right Kind of Madness first, but it is helpful to know some facts. 
> 
> Rhaenys is the oldest daughter and second child of Jon and Daenerys. She has been married to Little Sam Tarly for four years. They were betrothed to one another when she was ten and he was fifteen, but would not marry until she was eighteen. They have one son, Rickon. Luc Selmy was brought to court in King's Landing after his mother died at the behest his great uncle, Ser Barristan. He grew up alongside Rhaenys and her siblings: Aemon, Ned, and Alysanne. She revealed to her younger sister that she and Luc were intimate before she was married to Little Sam, but insisted those feelings were a thing of the past. 
> 
> Thanks to Mimi for inspiring me to write these stories, Sharon for fueling that, and Shawn for letting me send him these first few chapters. You might have already seen some of these chapters posted here under the titles 'Secrets of Harrenhal' and 'Secret Between Sisters'.

Rhaenys sat back down and took a sip of her wine. It had been too long since she danced so much. 

 

“I should check on Rickon,” she said, leaning over to Sam. 

 

“He’s fine,” her husband replied. “You worry too much.”

 

“I’ll be back soon.” 

 

She excused herself from the head table, not that any of the guests would notice she was gone. Bronn was well known for his feasts and her parents had spared no expense for her siblings. Ned kept Alys in the middle of the floor, even though the song had turned to a ballad, and pulled her close to him. Rhae had truly never seen either of them look so happy. 

 

Leaving the Great Hall, she made her way to the corridor where their rooms where, the music growing fainter the further away she walked. Soon, she was able to hear footsteps behind her. She half-expected to see Sam, but instead, she was met with the face of Luc Selmy. 

 

“Are you following me, Luc?” she asked, allowing him to catch up with her. 

 

“I saw you leave the hall. I thought something might be wrong.” 

 

“Not at all. I was just about to check on my son.” 

 

“Oh. I’ll leave you to it.” 

 

“Care to walk with me?” Rhaenys asked. “I know it hasn’t been long since I saw you last, but we did not really get a chance to speak then.” 

 

“No,” he smiled. “We did not, did we?” 

 

“I’m glad to be here under happier circumstances this time.” 

 

Luc waited dutifully at the door between Rickon’s bedchamber and the small outer chamber while Rhaenys saw to it that her son remained asleep.  _ Sam was right _ , she sighed, pushing Rickon’s curls off of his forehead. She kissed his brow and inhaled his scent. It seemed like only yesterday he was a babe at her breast and soon he would be three years old. 

 

“Everything is just fine,” Rhae said, softly closing the bedchamber door. “I suppose we should return to the feast.” 

 

“The prince and princess look most happy.” 

 

“I miss the days when you weren’t so formal, Luc.” 

 

“I miss the days when I could be, princess.” 

 

“Rhaenys,” she insisted. 

 

“My princess,” he replied, holding her gaze.

 

Rhaenys felt disarmed by his glance. She was struck by a pang of jealousy for Alys and Ned. What might have happened if she had told her mother about how she felt for Luc? She loved Sam, had been betrothed to him since she was ten, had loved and received his love and devotion in return. Why then had she also fallen in love with Luc? It had struck her like a bolt out of the blue. Sam had left King’s Landing for Horn Hill, to take his seat as Lord Tarly, Warden of the South. Luc had not yet taken up the White Cloak that had been his beloved uncle’s. They spent a blissful, carefree Summer together, but what might have happened if he had not become a Queensguard…

 

“I remember the day you left for Horn Hill,” Luc said. 

 

“Do you?” 

 

“When you rode West out of the city, it was like the sun was setting. It’s never quite risen the same way.” 

 

“Luc…” Rhaenys whispered stepping towards him. “We knew at the beginning of that summer that we could not…” 

 

“Do you know why I took the White Cloak?” 

 

“To honor Ser Grandfather’s memory? To follow in his footsteps?” 

 

“That was just part of it. I came to terms with the fact that, if I did not, I would just be a knight, maybe some Marcher Lord. That doesn’t quite compare with the Warden of the South. Who comes after Rhaenys Targaryen?” 

 

Rhae reached up and cupped his jaw with her hand, surprised that he did not flinch away. She did not know what had come over her, whether it was the wine, the music, or the emotions of the day. She was not drunk, but she suddenly felt as if her head was floating. The room felt smaller and too warm around her, and yet she tugged his face down to close the distance between them, meeting his lips with her own. Luc was stone still for a moment, but then he began to return the kiss, desperately seeking entrance into her mouth, which she readily granted. 

 

Ignoring the bulk of his breastplace, Rhaenys pulled him closer still, wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening their kiss. Her tongue swept across his, eliciting a light moan from the back of her throat when he caught it in his lips and sucked gently. 

 

Luc’s hands were on her hips, grasping her firmly as he turned them and lifted her onto the table with ease. Not a word was spoken, they became superfluous as Rhaenys tilted her head back to allow him to kiss and nip at her pulse point. She should have stopped him as he began to lift up the skirts of her gowns, but her own treacherous hands were pushing his leather brigandine out of the way. Rhaenys found herself thanking the old gods and the new that the Queensguard did not wear faulds or anything else that would come between them. 

 

A gasp was coaxed from her lips as one of Luc’s fingers dipped into her foldes and brushed against her clit. She was wet already, that much was clear, but she soon realized she was not the only one whose body betrayed them. Somehow, she managed to free his already hard cock and stroked the long length of him, remembering how it felt to hold him in her hand. 

 

“Tell me,” he whispered, breaking another kiss and pulling away from her. He held her face in his hand, willing her violet eyes to look at him. 

 

“Tonight,” she replied in a hushed voice, her free hand raking through his sandy blonde hair. “I just want you.” 

 

He wasted no time in joining their bodies together, thrusting into her with such force that he almost lifted her off the table. Instinctively, Rhaenys wrapped her legs around his waist. She had forgotten what it felt like to have him buried to the hilt and filling her up so completely. It was a struggle to keep from crying out, so much so that Rhae had to bite her lip to keep quiet as they moved against one another. It was as if his body was made for hers, to deliciously touch and stroke every inch of her. Far before she would have wished, she felt a heat begin to build in the pit of her stomach and with only a few more thrusts she was coming apart around him, her walls spasming around his thick cock. She cried out into his mouth, her nails digging almost painfully into his scalp. Luc tried to pull away from her, but she protested, keeping her ankles locked behind him as he began to come. 

 

In all their time together during that summer, he had never spilled his seed within her. They may have been irrationally in love, but they were not reckless. She would not have brought that burden upon her family had she gotten with child. But now...now she was married, a mother, and she longed to be so again. It was not for lack of trying, but her womb had not quickened again since Rickon was born. She blasphemously and foolishly prayed that Luc’s seed would take root and grow in her belly. 

 

“No matter what color cloak I might wear,” Luc panted, trying to catch his breath. “I never stopped loving you, Rhaenys.” 

 

“As if I could ever stop. Even if I wanted to,” she whispered, brushing her nose against his. “We’ve been gone too long.” 

 

“You go first. I’ll follow later.” 

 

Rhaenys kissed Luc once more, holding on as long as she could before she let him help her down off the table. She smoothed a hand over her skirts and checked her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was no more out of place than it was from the dancing she had done earlier. Fixing her necklace, she took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. She should have been filled with shame and regret, but she was not. Nothing need change between them. She would go back to Horn Hill soon, to her duties as a mother and a wife, and he would continue to serve her family. Their time and moments together had always been stolen, but no less sweet. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A "secret chapter" set after Chapter Twelve of "You're the Right Kind of Madness". Rhaenys finds out the hard way that secrets are difficult to keep, especially from those closest to us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally posted as "Secret Between Sisters"

Alys lifted her hand to knock on the door to her sister’s chambers- her own former chambers- when she heard voices from within. The hour was late and she had not expected to hear anyone talking, let alone what sounded like two voices. Dropping her hand, she pressed her ear closer to the door, attempting to decipher the words coming from within. 

 

“What took you so long?” she heard her sister say. “Rickon’s been asleep for hours and I’ve been waiting for you.” 

 

_ Waiting for who? _ Alys wondered. 

 

“Apologies, my princess. How shall I make it up to you.” 

 

Alys blanched. She knew that voice. It was familiar to her, even if she could not quite place it. 

 

“You know exactly how, Luc. Let me help you with your armor.” 

 

A wave a nausea swept over Alys as she clapped her hand over her mouth. Her feet felt leaden as she was unable to move them away from the door. She knew she should knock on the door, or simply walk in unannounced as if she had not just heard the exchange of words from inside between her sister and her parent’s devoted Queensguard. 

 

_ Apparently not only devoted to my parents _ …

 

Finding her bearings again she nearly stumbled away from the door and back to her own chambers down the corridor as quickly as she could move while so great with child. Thankfully, her husband was not there yet. Alys poured herself a glass of sweet red wine, her hand shaking so badly that she spilled a little onto the tray. After taking a few small sips she sank into a chair and began to process what she had heard. 

 

_ Rhaenys and Luc. The Lady of Horn Hill and the Queensguard. Your sister and one of her oldest friends. Her first love... _

 

Rhaenys’s words echoed in her mind as she recalled the conversation they had shared months ago when her older sister came to King’s Landing at the behest of their mother.  _ Is it so difficult to believe?  _ Rhaenys had said. _ It was easy to love him, to imagine that he could love me, too. We had other destinies ahead of us, but fate gave us a beautiful summer. I don’t regret it, not one bit. I don’t think he does either. _

 

Had she been false with Alys when she told her all of that was in the past? Or was this a new development? Alys could not be sure, nor did she know whether or not to broach the subject with Rhaenys. She needed to know, perhaps it was all a misunderstanding. Maybe her ears deceived her. 

 

The very next night she intended to find out. She waited until it was nearly the very same hour she had gone the previous night and boldly knocked on the door, her hand hitting the wood more strongly than usual. Rhaenys opened the door a crack moments later, peeking around the edge to see who had been knocking. 

 

“Oh,” she said, sounding a bit surprised. “It’s you.” 

 

“Oh,” Alys replied, perfectly mimicking her sister’s voice. “It’s me. Who else would you be expecting?” 

 

“No one...it’s just that it’s late. Come in.” 

 

Alys stepped inside as Rhaenys opened the door up to her, half disappointed that she did not catch Luc in her chambers again. She had half a mind to check the wardrobe and behind the curtains, but she knew that would be foolish. She and Rhaenys did not keep secrets from one another, not usually. 

 

“What brings you here?” Rhaenys asked, drawing her robe more tightly around herself. “You should probably be resting.” 

 

“I couldn’t sleep. Indigestion. I actually came by last night,” Alys said, wasting no time. “But it seems you were otherwise...occupied.” 

 

“I…” 

 

“Rhae, you can tell me anything. You know that, right?” 

 

“You’ll think I’m an awful person.” 

 

“I can promise you that I won’t. You’re my sister, how could I?” 

 

“You know who was here, don’t you?” Rhae asked as she led Alys over to the couch in her outer chamber and sat down. 

 

Alys nodded. “I heard you say his name. It sounded like he had arrived just before me. That’s all I heard.” 

 

“I don’t know what to do. I vacillate between being filled with such shame and feeling like what I’m doing is right.” 

 

“But Sam…” 

 

“You’ll think me a liar, but I love him. I do. But I also love Luc. I don’t think I ever stopped.” 

 

“I don’t understand. You told me that it was in the past. That Sam was your future.” 

 

“I thought it  _ was _ in my past. Sam  _ is  _ my future. The bond I share with Luc is precious to me, but neither of us have any preconceived notions. I will never ask him to leave the Queensguard. He will never ask me to leave Sam.” 

 

“Then what are you doing?” 

 

“Enjoying the time we do have with one another in any way we can. Don’t you think that Aegon loved both of his wives? Don’t you think it’s possible?” 

 

Alys was not sure about that. History told them that for every night he spent with Visenya, he spent ten nights with Rhaenys, but it was possible he loved her in a different way. She had a hard time believing that the most powerful conqueror Westeros had ever known would have married a sister merely out of obligation. When it came to loving two people, Alys could not speak to that. The only man she had ever loved, or ever would love, was Ned, but she knew from the way her sister had told about the summer she spent with Luc that she loved him dearly.

 

“It’s possible,” she conceded. 

 

“I know you think this is wrong.” 

 

“I don’t know what to think. How long has this been going on? Ever since before you were married.” 

 

“No!” Rhaenys replied, aghast that her sister would suggest such a thing. “When I told you that Luc was in my past I thought in all honesty that he was. But then at Harrenhal we were together…” 

 

“At Harrenhal?” 

 

“During the wedding feast I slipped away to check on Rickon and it just happened.” 

 

The wedding was just over two months past now. Rhaenys had been in King’s Landing without Sam for the better part of two months. All the while Alys thought her sister’s aloofness had been because she missed her husband, when in reality it was because she was keeping a secret from her. 

 

“The baby…” Alys whispered, realization sweeping over her. 

 

“There’s a good chance, more than a good chance really, that this child is Luc’s,” Rhaenys confirmed. 

 

“But you’re not sure.” 

 

“Don’t look at me like that, Alys. Please.” 

 

“Does Luc know?” 

 

“No.” 

 

“Does Sam know?” 

 

“I told you that I told him I was with child before he left. I thought it might soften the blow of the separation. He has no reason to think it’s not his. We’ve been together as well.” 

 

“So it could be his child.” 

 

“It could be,” Rhaenys nodded, biting her lip. “But it’s not as if we have slept apart for three years since Rickon was born. We’ve  _ tried _ to conceive again. I was with Luc and then I realized I had not bled not long after.” 

 

“Seven Hells.” 

 

“I’m not sorry though. I might be scared, but I’m not sorry. Do you know how jealous I was of you when you told me you were pregnant?” 

 

“Jealous?” Alys asked. “Of me?” 

 

“Yes. Here I had been wanting another child, longing for more children, trying in vain to have a baby, and you so effortlessly got with child. It seemed unfair. You were scared and not yet wed and I just thought of how cruel the gods must be to make you go through that when I would have been so glad to have another child.” 

 

“I never knew you felt that way.” 

 

“How could I tell you that?” Rhaenys asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “You told me that your child was not the result of some folly. Well neither is mine. I knew when Luc and I were together that it was a possibility. I should be ashamed to say that I even hoped it might, but I’m not.” 

 

“I’m sorry.” 

 

“For what?” 

 

“I don’t know what I thought I would find out when I came here tonight, but I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve judged you for it. Heavens knows I’m in no position to judge.” 

 

“My hesitation for staying in King’s Landing was because I knew if I was around Luc I wouldn’t be able to stay away from him. I wanted to be a good wife, a true wife. I know Sam deserves that much. But I also feel that life is short and maybe the gods have given me a capacity to love and be loved.” 

 

“You need to tell Luc.” 

 

“And I will. It’s still early yet. Alys?” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“You will keep this between us, won’t you?” 

 

_ Keep this between us... _ The words echoed through Alys’s head. What her sister really meant was,  _ Will you keep this from our brothers?  _ It had not occurred to Alys that she would be asked to keep this a secret from her husband. 

 

“Rhae I don’t know…” 

 

“A favor for a favor,” Rhaenys said, reaching for her hand. “I kept your secret from Mother and Father and now I ask you to keep mine.” 

 

“A favor for a favor,” Alys agreed with great reluctance, placing a hand on top of her sister’s. “But if Ned should  _ ever _ ask me…” 

 

“Why would he ask you?” 

 

“ _ If he does _ . I will tell him the truth. I won’t lie to him about it if he asks me.” 

 

“Very well. Thank you, Alys.”

 

“What are sisters for?” 

 

Luc came to her again that night and as she lay wrapped in his arms, willing the sun not to rise, she wondered if she had been right to ask Alys to keep her secret. She had no doubt that Alys would. There was no one she trusted more in the world than her younger sister. Growing up, Rhaenys had been surrounded by two brothers and so when her mother was brought to her childbed and delivered a girl, the four-year-old Rhaenys could not contain her excitement. Many siblings would have found the age gap to be annoying, but Rhaenys did not. Her little sister was smart, smarter than her brothers Rhae had insisted to their mother, and Alys was a willing participant in anything her older sister wanted to do. What was more, she truly felt like Alys understood her now. 

 

Sometimes, Rhaenys allowed herself to be lulled to sleep after making love to Luc, but that was a dangerous game. Unlike Alys who had Jeyne to keep her secrets, Rhae did not trust the servants, not with this secret. The greedier their hands, the looser their lips. She would take no chances. When she did sleep on the nights Luc stayed longer than he should, she did so fitfully. Sometimes she would have a nightmare which always involved Sam finding out in some way. Other times she would dream of living with Luc and their child in a small house on the banks of the Blackwater. Both dreams often left her with a sense of dread when she awoke. 

  
_ Did Luc dream _ ? she wondered. He never seemed to look anything but peaceful when he slept and yet at the smallest stirring he would wake. Perhaps that was why he made such a good soldier, he could always anticipate her needs even before she uttered them. She never needed to tell him what she wanted. Oftentimes, words were simply superfluous. He would simply rise from the bed and quietly dress, allowing her to follow him with her eyes as he moved about the room. He never said goodbye, would never ask when he might see her again for fear that it might spoil the current moment. Instead, Luc would merely sit on the edge of the bed nearest to her, bend low and kiss her soundly before taking his leave. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Ned and Alys's child has been born it is time for Rhaenys to return to her life at Horn Hill and say goodbye to Luc and their secret affair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally forgot to put this chapter into this fic!

“You’re leaving,” Luc said as he stood in her doorway while servants busily packed belongings into trunks. 

 

She clapped her hands and asked them to leave, waiting until they were safely out of the room before turning her attention to him. 

 

“Yes, well now that Dany is here and Alys is doing well it’s time for Rickon and I to return to Horn Hill.” 

 

“Were you going to tell me?” 

 

Rhaenys stopped folding a garment and instead threw it into the trunk, placing a hand on her hip as she turned to face him. 

 

“Why would you ask me that?” 

 

“It seems like a fair question.” 

 

“It’s not. You knew I’d be going back home eventually. Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is, Luc.” 

 

“Must not be so difficult since you weren’t going to say goodbye.” 

 

“That’s not fair. We said when we began this, that we would not make it complicated.” 

 

“I’m not asking you to stay. I’m not suggesting we run away together. I just think I deserved a goodbye.”

 

“Do you know why I wasn’t going to tell you goodbye?” 

 

She waited for an answer that never came and closed the distance between them. Despite being taller than her younger sister, Luc still towered over Rhaenys in his gleaming armor and white cloak. 

 

“I didn’t want to tell you goodbye because I didn’t want it to be like this. You’re not asking me to stay, but that doesn’t mean my heart doesn’t want to. If I saw you before I left, I knew there would be things I’d need to tell you.” 

 

“What things?” he asked, his features softening. “Are you alright?” 

 

“I’m...I’m with child,” she said simply, shaking her head. 

 

Luc could not believe what Rhaenys had just told him. His heart skipped a beat. There had not been a time in his life when he imagined that he would ever father children. From a young age, he knew he would follow in his great uncle’s footsteps and take up the white cloak. Even during the summer he spent with Rhaenys before she was wed, he never dared hope for such a thing. He wanted to pick her up, to spin her around, to kiss her. But just as quickly as she had lifted him up, it felt as if she cut him off at the knees. 

 

“Sam could be the father.” 

 

“Oh,” he heard himself say. “Of course.” 

 

“I’m sorry.” 

 

“Why should you be sorry? He’s your husband.” 

 

“We were together just days before the wedding and-.” 

 

“I don’t need details.” 

 

His words were blunt, but not unkind. In his heart of hearts, he knew that Rhaenys was a loving mother and a dutiful wife. Perhaps it would be better if Sam was her child’s father, but gods he wished it was his baby in her womb. He wanted to believe that she hoped for the same. He thought about the night they were together at Harrenhal- and all the times since- that she made sure he emptied his seed within her, all the time he let her. She reached up and cupped his face in her hand. 

 

“I didn’t want to say goodbye like this,” she whispered as he tilted his forehead down to rest against hers. “Not at all.” 

 

“I don’t care,” he replied, setting his hands on her waist. 

 

“I do.” 

 

“Not about saying goodbye. I don’t care who the father is. It doesn’t change anything for me. It doesn’t change the way I feel about you.” 

 

“Shouldn’t it?” 

 

“No.” 

 

He kissed her then, deeply and tenderly enough to sustain one another until they were reunited once more. Pulling away reluctantly, Luc did not say another word as he slowly walked towards the door. Rhaenys had not even heard the door close after him and she already wanted to cry, already felt the bile rising in her throat at the thought of not seeing him every day. But she never heard the door close. Instead, she heard the lock turn over and when she dared to open her eyes she saw him standing before her still. 

 

Wordlessly, they rushed back into each other’s arms, lips crashing together almost painfully. Rhae’s fingers had become adept at loosening the fastenings and buckles on his armor and soon it was discarded onto the floor. He lifted her up with ease and she wrapped herself around him as he walked them over to her bed. Setting her down he crawled on top of the bed and hovered over her. They reached and grabbed at one another’s clothing until it was tossed somewhere on the foot of the bed or on the floor. His lips felt like they were on each part of her body, studying and memorizing every slope, line and curve. 

 

“Make love to me,” she breathed as he kissed along the sensitive spot on her neck. 

 

“Yes, my princess,” he replied, flashing her a wicked grin as he thrust his cock inside in one smooth motion. 

 

Rhaenys had to bite her lip until it almost bled to keep from crying out at the frantic pace Luc set. Despite the numerous times they were together over the past few months, the sheer size of him still managed to surprise her. She wished they had time to savor the moment, to truly say their farewells, but time had never been kind to her. It was only recently that she began to actively rebel against it. 

 

She pushed at his shoulders, maneuvering their bodies until he was lying flat on his back and she was straddling him. Rhaenys wanted to be in control,  _ needed _ to be in control of some things in her life. Rolling her hips against his, she moved impossibly slowly if just for a moment as his hands traveled up her body and cupped her breasts. She gasped as he pinched one of her pink nipples and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger until it was a hard pebble, then did the same with the other. 

 

“I need more of you,” Luc said, sitting up and pressing their bodies together once again. “You’re far too far away.” 

 

“You have me,” she replied, kissing the corner of his mouth. 

 

Rhaenys wished she could have said that he had  _ all _ of her, but she knew it would be a lie. They each knew there were parts of their lives the other would never be able to possess. That truth was hard to swallow and left a bitter taste in her mouth. Instead, she tried to focus on the other truth, the much simpler truth. She loved him and he loved her. She knew she was selfish, knew that was the reason she prayed to the gods that her child was Luc’s. If it was Luc’s child in her womb, she would always have a part of him with her, even when he was not. 

 

He rocked against her, feeling the tension of his climax beginning to build as he threaded his fingers through her raven locks. Her nails raked down his back and the walls of her cunt began to flutter and tighten around him, sending him hurtling over the edge. He emptied himself inside her, one last time before she left him and in vain, too now that he knew she was with child. She had told him the child could be her husband’s and yet he hoped against all sane hope that it was his. It would not make it easier to see her go.  _ It will only make it harder, you fool _ , he thought as her buried his face in the crook of her neck and drank in her scent, committing it to memory. 

 

“What are you doing?” Rhaenys laughed, nudging his face back up to hers. 

 

“Trying to remembers every part of you,” Luc replied, peppering her lips with kisses. 

 

She wanted to lay him down on the bed and stay in his arms until the stars shown in the midnight blue sky, but she knew that she needed to put her dress back on and finish packing. Rickon was spending a few more hours with his grandparents and before the sun set they would need to be well on their way to Horn Hill. She and Rickon would fly upon Rhaegal, of course, and their belongings would arrive days later. 

 

They both dressed wordlessly, taking a moment to fix the bed linens. She turned her back to him and without being asked, he started to tie her laces. There was much that should have been said and yet nothing that would quite suffice. Before he left, she held him by the wrist while she rummaged through one of the trunks on the table. Pulling out a white kerchief, Rhaenys tucked it into his sleeve and pulled him down by the nape of his neck for one final kiss. 

 

“Be safe,” Luc said, letting his fingers graze over her flat stomach. 

 

“ _ You _ be safe,” she replied. “You’re the soldier, not me.” 

 

“I can’t say it.”

 

“Then don’t. I don’t want to say it either. If we start saying it now, it’ll just get harder every single time.” 


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now back at her home with Little Sam at Horn Hill, Rhaenys writes a letter to Luc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first "new" chapter of this fic!

Luc settled back onto his cot in his sparse sleeping cell in the White Sword Tower, although he knew it would be in vain. At best, he would toss and turn for the better part of an hour and then fall asleep. At worst, he would be up the entire night. Outside, it had begun to snow again. Every time it snowed Luc thought of  _ her.  _

 

Before- years and years ago- they had spent a Summer together, a beautiful and carefree Summer, and it made him think of Rhaenys whenever the warm winds blew the smell of wildflowers across the fields. King’s Landing was not a pleasant place to be in the summer. The city became hot and putrid, but when he had spent his days with her he hardly noticed. 

 

They were reunited in the Winter, at Harrenhal of all places. What was it about Harrenhal that made the blood run hot? He had seen her months before when she was called upon by the Queen to attend to her sister. It had been a year since he had seen her and somehow, it seemed that motherhood agreed with her. She had been a tall, willowy thing when she had left King’s Landing for Horn Hill and Luc noticed that her hips and breasts had filled out a bit. A better man would have been able to scour the image of her descending Rhaegal from their mind, but he could not and thought of her often in the weeks afterwards while he gave in to solitary carnal pleasures.

 

_ “You’ve always been more than just a friend to our family,”  _ she had said. 

 

Luc was not sure what it was that made him follow her out of the great hall during her brother and sister’s wedding feast. He told himself that he had been worried about her, worried that something was amiss, but that was only a half truth. He followed her because he wanted to. He followed her because he missed speaking to her without other people nearby. He had not intended on coupling with her on a table, but it happened just the same. 

 

_ “Tonight,” _ she had whispered.  _ “I just want you.”  _

  
  


They were careless-  _ not careless, reckless. Sometimes he cared  _ _ too  _ _ much-  _ and she had gotten with child. He could not help but wonder if it had happened at Harrenhal, when she had held his body close to hers and wordlessly urged him to spill his seed inside her. She knew what she was doing and he would not-  _ could not _ \- refuse her. Not then, not any of the other times they made love. 

 

_ “I’m...I’m with child,” _ she had said simply, shaking her head. 

 

It hurt him when she admitted that her husband might be her child’s father, but in his heart of hearts, he did not believe that for a moment. Rhaenys was carrying  _ his _ child, a child he may never see grow up, not in the way a father should, but a child conceived out of love and longing. 

 

He closed his eyes again and tried to imagine what she might be doing. If the gods were kind, she would be fast asleep after tucking her son in for the night. He tried to imagine how it felt to have her body pressed against his, or to rest his head against the curve of her belly. He imagined making love to her slowly, without worrying about being caught. Luc wondered what it would feel like to feel their child kick, something he would never know. 

 

* * *

 

Rhaenys placed her quill back into the inkwell and affixed a wax seal to the letter she wrote to her sister. The hour was late and she knew she should blow out her candle and retire for the night, but instead she took out another sheet of paper and picked up her quill once more. Earlier that day she had felt her child move for the first time...

 

_ My Dearest Luc,  _

 

_ It is hard to believe that it has been two months since I left King’s Landing. The time that has passed seems both longer and shorter. We thought Spring was well on its way, but it seems Winter had one more icy and cruelly cold storm to send our way. As I write to you now, the winds are whipping the snow across my windowpane with such ferocity that I can see nothing but snow.  _

 

_ Nights such as these remind me of the nights I spent in your arms- and the afternoons, too. I’m glad to be home, and I know Rickon is, too, but I cannot pretend I don’t think of you by day and dream of you by night.  _

 

_ Today I felt ~~my~~ ,  _ _ our _ _ , child move for the first time, that is to say, I placed my hand on my belly and felt it. Rickon did, too and he was very excited. I know that he will be the very best big brother.  _

 

_ I’ve been tired a considerable amount of the time and the short days and long nights make me want to stay in bed, forget my duties and responsibilities and dream my day away. Unfortunately, this is nearly impossible to do with a three-year-old boy.  _

 

_ Tell me how you are. Alys and my mother both write to me and I hang on every line, but nothing would make me happier than a letter from your own hand. Apart from your eyes, I think your hands are my favorite part of you. Strong enough to wield a sword, to protect, and to impart damage, but soft enough, gentle enough, tender enough to touch my very soul.  _

 

_ I miss you. Perhaps that is unfair of me to say since I am the one who left King’s Landing. I tried not to miss you, but it cannot be helped. I love  _ _ you _ . 

 

_ Your Princess,  _

_ Rhaenys  _

 

After she had signed the letter Rhaenys stood from her desk, smoothing her hand over her stomach as she walked over to the fireplace. She read over each line by the glow of the fire, committing them to memory and then dropped the paper into the hearth. She stared at it for a long while as the flames licked over the edges of the letter until it was completely consumed and crumpled into ash as if it had never even been. 


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys and Alys travel to Horn Hill with a certain Queensguard for the birth of Rhaenys's child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've noticed my gorgeous moodboard, I have Sharon (aka LustOnMyFingers) to thank for that! 
> 
> I accidentally posted a chapter out of order. There is now a new Chapter Three all about Rhaenys leaving for Horn Hill and telling Luc she is with child. 
> 
> This chapter is set approximately six months after the end of "You're the Right Kind of Madness".

“Luc,” Rhaenys breathed as she looked up from her son. 

 

“Your sister told me that you were still awake,” he blurted out, feeling the need to offer an explanation. “I didn’t realize you’d be feeding him. I can come back.” 

 

“Don’t you dare. Don’t be ridiculous, it’s nothing you’ve not seen before,” she smiled. “He’s awake...and hungry, so I’m awake. You can come closer, you know.” 

 

He shuffled into the room and stood by her bedside. A sense of awe and amazement came over him as he gazed down at her and the babe quietly nursing at her breast. Alysanne had told him that the birth had been relatively easy and the babe had come quickly and without much fuss into the world. Luc thought he should have asked the princess why she was telling him such information, but he could not hold up the pretense. She clearly knew that he cared for Rhaenys.  _ But does she know that I love her older sister? _ Luc wondered, already knowing the answer to such a question. 

 

“He’s so small,” he wondered, drawing his attention to the child as he sat on the edge of the bed.

 

“Bigger than Rickon was when he was born. And long, too. He’ll be tall when he grows up. Mark my words.” 

 

“Alysanne said that you had not named him yet.” 

 

“No. But it’s been something I’ve been pondering for a long while. With his older brother, we knew he would either be Rickon or Rhaella, but this time it was different. When the midwife placed him into my arms and when he looked into my eyes for the first time I knew what I would name him. Luc, I’d like you to meet Barristan, Arstan for short.” 

 

“Barristan...Rhaenys, are you sure?” 

 

“I know in my heart,” she nodded. “I look into  _ his _ eyes and I see  _ your  _ eyes.” 

 

“But we can’t be sure. You said before...before you left that he might be Sam’s.” 

 

“People will have no reason to think that he’s not Sam’s. Sam will have no reason to know. I told you, he and I were together before Harrenhal, but it’s not as if we haven’t tried to have another child after Rickon. I don’t know why we didn’t. I thought it was me, but perhaps not. We were together and I became pregnant? I don’t know why the gods work the way they do, but  _ I’m _ sure he is your son.” 

 

“My son. I never thought I would have a son.” 

 

“Would you like to hold him?” 

 

Luc nodded. “I would.” 

 

Arstan had unlatched and fallen asleep while his parents talked and so it was easy for Rhaenys to rearrange her nightgown and place her son into his father’s waiting arms. She took one of Luc’s large hands and placed it under the baby’s head, showing him how to support it. 

 

If her heart had not been so full, Rhaenys might have laughed at the sight before her. Here was seated a Queensguard, sure and strong, clad in his gleaming armor, cradling a small baby in his arms. It was truly a sight to behold. He looked so awkward and unsure of himself and when their son began to squirm he glanced up at her and made to give the child back to her, but she refused. 

 

“You’re alright,” she said, rearranging the swaddling cloth. “I think your armor is cold against his skin.” 

 

“Rhaenys, are you sure about his name? Won’t it cause some people to ask questions?” 

 

“My mind is made up about it. Everyone who knows me, knows that I was close to Ser Grandfather.”

 

“He’s a good child so far?”

 

“He’s less than a day old,” Rhaenys smiled. “But yes, so far he is.” 

 

“You look beautiful.” 

 

“I look like a haggard mess.” 

 

“There is no more beautiful sight in the world than a woman who has just given a man a child.”

 

“Luc, I…”

 

“Rhae, don’t,” he halted her speech. “Please. When we began this we said no jealousy or complications.” 

 

“How is this not a complication?”

 

“Because it can’t be. It will tear me up that I cannot see him everyday. Just as it does that I cannot see you. But we’ve made out beds. I’ll see him whenever you’re in the capital.” 

 

“I’ll write to you. I promise. Maybe someday Sam will get appointed to a post in King’s Landing.” 

 

“Perhaps. I would be glad of that.” 

 

“You’re a natural,” Rhaenys said, brushing her finger over her son’s cheek.

 

“I don’t feel like one.” 

 

“Trust me, you are. He’s getting sleepy.” 

 

“So is his mother, I think.” 

 

“Not just yet.” 

 

“Shall I call for someone to put him down?” 

 

“You can do it. His cradle is just here next to the bed.” 

 

“What if he starts to cry again?” 

 

“He won’t. His belly is full and he’s nearly sleeping. Hopefully he’ll sleep for a few hours before waking.” 

 

Luc threw Rhaenys a skeptical look before standing from the edge of the bed. He gently placed Arstan down in the cradle, carefully extricating his hand from beneath the baby’s head. Tucking the cloth around him, Luc let his hand smooth over his son’s downy cap of blonde hair. Rhaenys held her hand out to him and he took it and sat back down again. 

 

“Alys knows,” she admitted, lifting her violet eyes to meet his steely blue ones. “About us, I mean.” 

 

“I assumed as much,” he replied, tucking a stray lock of her raven hair behind her ear.

 

“She’s known since before I left King’s Landing. I think my mother knows, too” 

 

“When she asked me and Tolliver Mormont to escort her and your sister I was just glad I would see you.” 

 

“She has not told me as much, but before she left me tonight I told her I wanted to name him Barristan and she told me it was a fitting name, but nothing more.” 

 

“I don’t know what to make of that.” 

 

“Nor do I.” 

 

“I should leave you to rest.” 

 

“I wish you wouldn’t,” Rhaenys replied, squeezing his hand. 

 

“This risk is far too great here. We can’t be reckless.” 

 

“We’ve already been reckless, my love.” 

 

“But it’s not just us anymore we have to worry about.” 

 

Rhaenys knew he was right. By virtue of the fact that Arstan had blonde hair and blue eyes like Sam did, he was safe from immediate scrutiny, but as he grew they would have to continue to be cautious. If he did indeed grow to be tall, Rhaenys could liken him to her younger brother Ned. He and Luc shared a similar build.

 

“No, you’re right. It’s not. Will you see me tomorrow?” 

 

“I shouldn’t, but gods I want to. To see both of you.” 

 

“If it’s safe, I’ll send Alys for you. Does Tolliver have the night watch?” 

 

“He does,” Luc nodded. “As requested...by the Queen.” 

 

“My mother  _ requested _ it?” Rhaenys asked, tilting her head knowingly to the side. 

 

“I didn’t think anything of it at the time…” 

 

“That’s why I love you. You’re too good to think there might be an ulterior motive.” 

 

“That’s not true. I just did not expect one from my queen.” 

 

Rhaenys shifted down in the bed, wincing from a twinge of pain. 

 

“I don’t like to see you in pain.” 

 

“It’s not so bad, really. I just refuse to drink milk of the poppy.” 

 

“Why? If it helps, perhaps you should.” 

 

“Because, if I’m drugged, Arstan will be as well. Most babes from noble families have wet nurses, but my mother nursed us, I nursed Rickon, and Alys nurses Dany. We can’t bear to let another woman do what we ourselves can do. Once, my mother nursed me while holding court on the Iron Throne, or so I’m told. She caused quite a scandal. If I’m able to nurse our son, I will.” 

 

“It hardly seems fair.” 

 

“It’s easy to forget the pain when they put your child into your arms.” 

 

“Thank you,” Luc said in a hushed tone, brushing his thumb over the top of her hand. If he had been looking at Rhaenys she would have seen the unshed tears glimmering in his eyes. 

 

“For what?” 

 

“I never imagined I’d have a son, certainly not after I took my vows. Now I do and he’s the handsomest boy. I know he would make his namesake proud.” 

 

“He’ll know of him, Luc. I swear to you. He’ll be told story after story of Barristan the Bold.” 

 

“That’s all I can ask. I really should go. I’ve stayed too long already.” 

 

Luc bent low over her and kissed her forehead, cheek, and lips, wishing he could shed his armor and climb into bed next to her. She dreamed of the same, wished she did not have to pretend her precious boy was not his son. Rhaenys knew that if he was any lesser man it would be even more unfair. Only Luc could possibly understand the the sacredness and enormity of their secret. 

 

She gripped the collar that poked out from the neckline of his breastplate, keeping him close as she moved her lips across his. It had been so long since she had kissed him, nearly six months since she rode away from King’s Landing, and she had missed him every day. She made a small sound in protest when he pulled away, murmuring words of love before he kissed the crown of Arstan’s head and left her chamber.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years after the birth of their son, Rhaenys and her family move back to King's Landing to make their permanent home there as Little Sam has been appointed Master of Coin. Rhaenys and Luc share a clandestine reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we just ahead a few years! Arstan is now three years old and Rhaenys and her family are finally moving back to King's Landing. :D I hope you're all enjoying this fic as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Thanks so much for the comments! 
> 
> Thanks especially to Sharon (Amazing Maker of Moodboards), Mimi, Shawn, and Jenny!

Luc knew he was taking a chance in going to the wing of the Red Keep where guests lodged. It had been nearly three years since he had been to the secret chamber-  _ their secret chamber. _ It was true that she has been in the capital since their son was born, but those trips had been short and she could not extricate herself long enough to meet him clandestinely. Other times they saw one another at other castles and keeps, neither knowing the buildings well enough to identify spaces that were safe for them. 

 

His hand nearly trembled as he made to open the door. When he tugged on the handle it did not budge.  _ Locked, _ he thought and his pulse quickened. There was only one reason that door would be locked. He fished into the pouch at his waist and withdrew a key, sliding it easily into the lock and gaining entry into the room. His mouth fell open at the sight before him. 

 

Laid bare before his eyes, stretching out across the bed as if nothing could have been more ordinary was Rhaenys. His eyes must have looked as if they would fall out of his head because she laughed as he hurriedly closed the door and locked it behind him. He had not realized how much he missed that sound. 

 

Luc’s hands were already on his belt as she pushed herself up on the bed with a cat-like grace and strode over to him. Her hands covered his own and she held them fast, tilting her head back to look up into his blue eyes. 

 

“Welcome home, my princess,” he said as he brushed his lips over hers.

 

“It’s wonderful to be home,” she hummed. 

 

“But it seems I am the one receiving a warm welcome.” 

 

“It’s the least I could do. We’ve been here for days and this is the first I could manage to slip away.” 

 

“You’re forgiven,” Luc said as he traced her bottom lip with his thumb. 

 

His eyes drifted down from her violet eyes across her neck and collarbone to her full breasts, the pink nipples already hard as pebbles from being pressed against his armor. His cock ached at the sight of her. He had dreamt of her so many times over the years, but the dreams never did her justice. He marvelled at how the gods created such a perfect woman and how he was worthy to love her and to have her love in return. 

 

Rhaenys reached up on her tiptoes and placed an almost chaste kiss on Luc’s lips as she unbuckled his belt and placed his sword on the table. Next she unhooked the white cloak from his shoulders, draping it reverently over a chair before moving on to the pauldrons. Deft fingers worked at the fastenings as if she was a trained squire who tended to him each day. Vambraces and breastplate followed and she laid each piece onto the table as if she was arranging a display. Rhae smiled as he shifted his weight, knowing he was growing impatient. She was, too, but she was quite enjoying making him wait. They had waited over three years. It stunned her when she realized they had last been intimate when she left King’s Landing before their son was born. 

 

She took a step back as he peeled the mail off and handed it to her. It was heavy in her hands and as she draped it, too over another chair.  _ It’s hardly any wonder he looks as he does beneath all of that,”  _ she mused. Arming doublet, boots, and leather breeches came off next until he was as naked as his names day. 

 

Luc made a nearly inaudible sound as he watched her run a finger along the length of his cock, clicking her tongue in satisfaction as it twitched in response. He had been hard almost from the moment he set eyes on her and his body practically ached for her. When she made to kneel before him, he stopped her, holding her by the elbows and shook his head. 

 

“Time enough for that later,” he said. “I need you.” 

 

Rhaenys nodded and led him by the hand towards the bed. Her legs were unsteady with nervous anticipation and she felt the wetness between her lower lips grow with each step they took. When they reached the bed she turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. His strong hands were on her hips then, lifting her with ease onto the bed and hovering over her. She parted her legs for him and he knelt between them, his thick cock bumping into her inner thigh as he plundered her mouth. The first time they made love she had not realized that Luc was above average. She had no one to compared him to. Had she known then what she knew now she might have had the good sense to be afraid, but he had been so gentle, so careful with her that any discomfort she felt when first they coupled quickly faded with each subsequent time. 

 

Luc could have kissed her for an eternity. She tasted of pomegranates, sweet yet tart, and he wondered if she had indulged in pomegranate wine that afternoon. Her skin was as smooth and soft as silk under his touch. His hands trailed along her ribcage to her hips before delving behind to caress her back. She moved against him enough to allow him to slide his hands down to cup and squeeze her arse as his cock pressed against her core. Rhaenys moaned into his lips when he teased her clit with the tip of his cock, coating it with her juices until it mingled with his precum and then he smeared it along his shaft. 

 

Rhaenys pulled away from his kiss and rested her head back on the pillows. She pushed his hair back and combed her fingers through the blonde waves. She had waited so long for this moment, petitioned her parents so that she and her family might one day call King’s Landing home again. Rhaenys thought of every letter she wrote to him and then cast into the flames, every night she woke with a start from another dream of him, every time she looked into their son’s eyes and saw Luc staring back at her. Every single one of those moments had led her here. She thought,  _ feared _ , that her feelings would wane with the passing of years, but instead they grew impossibly stronger. 

 

She shuddered when he entered her, his cock sinking in slowly so she could feel every inch of him until he filled her up completely. Rhae moaned into his mouth as he rolled his hips forward in relentless waves, at the sensation of being joined together as one again, skin to skin and soul to soul 

 

“Shhh,” Luc warned as his lips left a searing trail across her jaw and he nibbled on her earlobe. 

 

Words were lost on her tongue as she tried to respond with something clever. She could not trust herself to form actual words instead of crying out, so instead she bit her bottom lip. Luc continued to lavish her body with kisses, peppering them across her shoulders and between the valley of her breasts. His thrusts grew lazy when he teased her nipples with his tongue, first the one and then the other, before taking one gently between his teeth. He grunted when her nails dug into his back then, not caring if she left a mark no one but her would see. 

 

“Careful,” she managed to say, tugging on his hair when she felt he had become overzealous. “No love bites.” 

 

Luc scowled at that. The brash, irrational part of him wanted to ignore her admonition and cover her body with traces of their lovemaking.  _ Let her husband see them, _ he thought as he soothed the underside of her breast with his tongue.  _ Let him know that she was loved and fucked well and good _ . But he did not dare. Their secret was too precious to lose over silly territorial whims. He knew the rules. 

 

Rhaenys trailed her toes up and down of one of his muscular calves hoping it would spur him into action again and smiled when it had the desired effect. She had half a mind to push Luc back and straddle him, to ride him until she watched his eyes roll back and close tight as her name slipped off his tongue like a prayer, but she did not. She enjoyed the feel of his comfortable weight over her, they way he pressed her into the mattress each time he drove his cock into her.  Her movements began to match his own until her hips bucked off the bed. He took the opportunity to take hold of them, angling her body so that his shaft swept across her clit each time he moved within her. 

 

“Luc,” she gasped when she felt the familiar heat begin to build in the pit of her stomach. He covered her lips with his own, swallowing the cries that came pouring forth as she came hard around him, driving him to his own release as he spilled his seed inside her. 

 

She held him fast, unwilling to let him go as they both rode out the aftershocks of their climaxes. His chest heaved against her, as he tried in vain to catch his breath. 

 

“Rhaenys,” he murmured over and over against her hair and on her temple. 

 

“My love?” she replied, fingers dancing across the back of his neck. 

 

“I’ve just missed saying your name.” 

 

“Is that all?” 

 

“You know it’s not,” he insisted, nudging her nose with his own. 

 

She pecked at his lips and let her legs fall from his waist. Even when he pulled out of her and fell onto his side she kept a hand on him, not ready to break contact just yet. A contented sigh escaped her when he gathered her to his chest and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. 

 

“What are you doing?” Luc asked. 

 

“Nothing. You smell the same.” 

 

“I’m sure I smell like you now.” 

 

“Good,” she replied, kissing his chin. 

 

“Can I say that I missed you?” 

 

“Of course.  _ That’s _ not against the rules. I missed you every day. I’d write you letters and then burn them because I didn’t dare send them.” 

 

“I wish you would have, but your sister would tell me things every now and then. Or she’d speak to your mother when she knew I was in earshot.”  

 

“I think Alys rather enjoys being in on our secret sometimes…” 

 

“Arstan has grown so much since you were last here,” Luc mused, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. 

 

“I told you he’d be tall. He’s only three and he’s up to his brother’s shoulder. He’s so good. I rarely have to scold him. I’m sure he gets that from you. I can’t wait for you to know him more.” 

 

“I can’t either.” 

 

“I love you,” she whispered. 

 

“And I you, love.” 

 

He would never have said as much aloud, but Luc silently wondered if they might have more children, if his seed was taking root in her womb at that very moment.  _ You’re being greedy,  _ he thought. He had never expected to have any children and now he wanted more. 

 

“I should-,” Rhaenys began though she made no attempt to move. 

 

“Don’t say it.” 

 

“I’m sorry. But I’m  _ here _ now. I’m not going anywhere else.”

 

“Well,” Luc smiled. “Thank the gods for that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhaenys has been back in King's Landing for three months and has special news to share to share with Luc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter written for some time now so I decided to share it!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“You’re very quiet,” Luc noted as he dropped a kiss to the back of Rhaenys’s neck.

 

She was sitting between his legs as he rested his back against the headboard. Her hands absentmindedly played with his fingers and he knew she must be thinking about something. Most days after their lovemaking she would regale him with stories of their son and of Rickon, but on this day, she was ponderous. 

 

He had been waiting for her in their secret room in the part of the Red Keep where guests and travellers lodged. She arrived not long after, already in her nightgown and robe. He loved seeing her that way and he knew that she had more than likely just come from putting their son to sleep. It was a refreshing thing to see in Westeros. Despite being members of the royal family, the members of House Targaryen were deeply focused on their family. Duties that would normally be handled by Septas throughout many great houses in Westeros, the Queen and her daughters handled themselves. 

 

She had undressed before him without so much as a word, allowing him to gaze openly at her perfect form and then helped him removed his own armor, carefully placing it onto the table. Some nights she would push him back onto the bed and have her way with him, but on this night she had lain back on the bed and let him make love to her, holding him ever so close to her. 

 

“Am I?” she asked and leaned further into him. Her head rested on his shoulder. “I suppose I’ve just been wondering if the gods will give us another son, or if they will give us a daughter this time.” 

 

“Rhaenys...you’re sure?” 

 

“Sure it’s ours? No, I suppose not. Sure I’m with child? Without a doubt.” 

 

She felt his arms tighten around her ever so slightly. Perhaps she should not have told him. It was still early yet, but she had gone through two months now without having her moon blood. She and her family had moved to King’s Landing no more than three moons ago and she was already with child again.  _ The seed was certainly strong _ , she thought. Even if she could not be entirely sure just yet, she felt certain it would be Luc’s. 

 

It was difficult to believe that Arstan would be three soon. It had taken three years to get Sam an appointment in King’s Landing. When sickly Robin Arryn finally died a handful of months ago, Rhaenys had wasted no time in writing to her mother and father to suggest that her husband be made the new Master of Coin. He would serve them well, she wrote, and they would have the opportunity to spend more time with their grandsons. 

 

Although she and Luc had seen each other over the years, it had been difficult at times to extricate themselves from their other duties to be together. She felt a pang of guilt wash over her when she had to reintroduce Arstan to Luc. Although they had seen one another at least once a year, the boy was shy at first around Luc when they moved to King’s Landing. The shyness had quickly faded though, and now Arstan referred to him quite affectionately as  _ Yook _ , unable to pronounce certain words just right yet. 

 

“At least I’ll get to see you through this time,” he said. 

 

“See me get fat, you mean.” 

 

“Nonsense. I overheard your sister tell your mother you were quite sick last time.” 

 

“Eavesdropping?” 

 

“I think we both know now that she probably said it when she did for my benefit.” 

 

“Yes, I was,” Rhaenys admitted. “At least for awhile.” 

 

“And this time?” 

 

“Not as bad. It was bad with Rickon, too which is what leads me to wonder if it’s a girl.” 

 

“You’ve told him?” 

 

“You know the rule,” she chided, pinching his arm. 

 

_ The rule _ , he thought. The rule stated that neither of them were to bring up Sam while they were in bed together. It was easier that way. The time they shared was precious to them and she certainly did not want to spend it feeling guilty about something. He understood that much. Still, he could not help himself. 

 

“But no. He doesn’t know yet. I wanted to tell you first. No one else knows. Not even my sister.” 

 

“I hope it  _ is  _ a girl. A little girl as beautiful as her mother.” 

 

“She’ll be my first child born during Winter.”

 

“Mine, too,” Luc grinned. 

 

“I shouldn’t have stayed so long, my love.”

 

“And yet I wish you could stay longer.” 

 

Rhaenys sighed as she pulled away from him, reaching for her chemise and pulling it over her head as she stood from the bed. Sam was playing cards with her brothers that night as they always did each week before the small council meeting and after she had put the children to bed, she had sought Luc out. They would only spend an hour or so together before she felt the need to be back in her own chambers. He had the night watch this sennight and so he slept during the day. 

 

“How many more days are you on night watch for?” she asked, tying her robe around her waist. 

 

“Five. Why?” 

 

“Arstan and Rickon have been asking about the White Sword Tower ever since you mentioned it to them.” 

 

“I’d be happy to take them there and show them around. And you as well.” 

 

“I”m afraid once you show them they will always want to visit.” 

 

“Help me with my armor before you go?” 

 

“You know I hate that,” Rhaenys sulked as she watched Luc fasten his breeches. “I much prefer taking it off.” 

 

“Don’t sulk now,” he said, handing her the breastplate. 

 

“I can’t help it.” 

 

“D’you think I like it when you put your robe back on?” 

 

Luc pulled her into his arms once she had finished with buckling his armor and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. If she was indeed carrying their daughter and she was half as beautiful as her mother, he would spend the rest of his life chasing boys and young men off with a stick or a sword. He let his thumb trace over her bottom lip before he cupped her cheek. Rhaenys covered his hand with her own, holding it in place and closing her eyes.  

 

“You haven’t answered me,” he whispered. 

 

“No,” she finally said. “I don’t imagine you do.” 

 

“I certainly don’t. Sometimes when I notice you’re wearing a new gown, I think of how quickly I can get it off.” 

 

“That is most unbecoming of a man of your station.” 

 

“I’m afraid it can’t be helped and it’s mostly your fault.” 

 

“ _ My _ fault? How is it my fault?” 

 

“Well it certainly isn’t my fault you look the way you do.” 

 

“Oh, I see,” Rhaenys said knocking on his armor. “And you think that I’m unaffected by the sight of you walking about in your armor?” 

 

“I don’t know,” Luc said, leaning down to whisper into her ear as he toyed with the knot on her robe. He brushed his lips along the shell of her ear, nipping at her earlobe as he continued to kiss a path down her neck. 

 

“We can’t.”

 

“We could…” 

 

“No,” she moaned. “If we do I’ll not want to leave at all.” 

 

Their secret was conditional on their own ability to follow rules. True enough, they had succumbed to their desire and love for one another, but she would not ruin all of that because she had gotten greedy. It was bigger than them now. They had to think about Arstan and his future as well as the new child’s future. 

 

“You’re right, my love. Of course you are.” 

 

“I don’t enjoy being right. Not in this instance.” 

 

“Rhae, before you go…” 

 

“What is it?” 

 

“I meant what I said earlier,” Luc said. “I’m glad I get to see it through this time. I don’t have to rely on second-hand information from your sister. I know we can’t be sure it’s mine but-.” 

 

“I feel it in my heart of hearts,” Rhaenys finished for him. “This child is ours. The gods work in mysterious ways. I’ve stopped trying to understand it. All I know is that I prayed for more children. Month after month I prayed and they’ve answered my prayers. My father always says that the gods have fashioned us for love. I believe that I was made to love you and to bear your children.” 

 

“Is it true you can feel the babe moving around?” 

 

She smiled softly at his question. He was a soldier and so much of what he knew about life and the world was informed by that. It did not surprise her that he did not know about such matters. 

 

“You’ll be able to, but not just yet. You’ll be the first person to feel it. I promise.” 

 

“And… we can continue to meet like we do?” 

 

“We can,” she smirked, pressing herself against him and reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss his chin. “A midwife from Essos once told me that it was perfectly normal as long as I feel comfortable. And you know very well how  _ relaxed  _ you can make me feel.” 

 

“Oh,” he replied as the color rose up in his cheeks. 

 

“Luc, are you blushing?” 

 

“I...no…?” 

 

“Kiss me goodnight before I have to go.” 

 

He bent his neck and kissed her, holding her close to him a little bit longer before reluctantly pulling away. They were never sure when they would be able to spend moments alone together. Often it was a spur of the moment decision. Sometimes they were able to plan their rendezvous days in advance. Sometimes she was unable to come at the last moment. Whatever the circumstances were, he cherished each minute he was able to spend in her arms. 

 

“Goodnight, my princess.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think!


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